Treat You Better
by Cookie M 2012
Summary: SONGFIC SHORT STORY: No one likes him- in fact; they hate him! He's unclean, and not right for her. Someone else want's to be hers, and her be his, but doesn't know how... *RATED T FOR SUGGESTED THEMES*
1. Chapter 1

_**1**_

"So how are things holding up with Zai?" Viper asked curiously, after beginning to slid the bedroom door shut. Tigress was in front of the wardrobe, standing in her paws and training crop top, paws on hips, looking at all the contents of the wardrobe pensively. Tigress gave her quick response without looking at her.

"I'm not sure." She said, receiving a frown from the serpent. Turning to face her, she sighed. "Go any slower, and the others will look in." Viper shut the door in a snap, and Tigress continued to look in her immaculate closet space, which somehow, made everything fly out at her.

"What makes you say that?" The snake asked. She paused briefly, and frown. "Did he have one of his narcissistic episodes?"

"No, why ask?"

"Usually you say you're unsure about the making it offical when he perms up and become Mr. Germaphobic-beauty-boy... no offense."

Tigress chuckled. "None taken... it's just..." she sighed, her neck craning upwards so she was looking up at the ceiling. "I dunno about him Viper..."

"Don't I know that already sweetie?" Viper said jokingly, but coughing awkwardly not long after when she noticed she was the only one seeing the humor in it. "I've been meaning to point this out to you Tigress, but I was afraid you'd get annoyed or something by saying anything..." Master Viper knew it all along; Zai seems like a genuinely nice guy, but that's where you get cat-fished, and dragged along by his long conversations about him, or how pretty Tigress is, or how amazing she looks in yet _another_ tunic he had bought her. They weren't 'offically' dating according to Tigress, as she was still getting to know him, but Zai on the other hand had been writing scrolls to his family and friends, bragging how he got Master Tigress after one date.

Exactly. ONE DATE. He got her _considering,_ **but not officially.** Apparently she was the girl of his dreams, and the very reason he started going to Kung Fu classes, and fell hook, line, and sinker when he got the opportunity to study her style, which seemed cute and cheesy enough in itself, but it wasn't official yet.

"Not at all." Tigress fished out a black and white shirt, frowning a little as she extended it from her by her fingertips. Viper looked at it too, but with disgust. "I wish I said something about my shape, and then maybe something new I have from him would've been worn more often." The only nice thing about the tops he'd buy her was the design, but the ugly thing about them was the fact they were tight against her body, and seemed a little... revealing, in the serpent's opinion, much to pretty boy's usual disagreements. Viper didn't say it to Tigress, but she heard the two talking in the kitchen. Tigress did tell Zai as kindly as possible that she didn't like wearing clothes like that in public, and his response was an obvious unclean intention, and almost perverted. Unfortunately he said it when the other guys were out of the room, especially Master Shifu, and Master Viper happened to be slithering by.

 _'Who said it was for the public?'_

Another time, but Tigress wasn't there, the serpent remembered running into him at a tailor shop, offering Zai her assistance of getting a different tunic for her birthday, also pointing out that Tigress was more comfortable in a different kind of make, like the golden robe she only started wearing recently. How Viper managed to bite her tongue and never told Tigress was a mystery, when Zai just laughed at her and replied;

 _'How would you know she's not comfortable with wearing them?'_

 _'Uh...'_ She was sick was pretending to be nice to him. Tigress always said she was too nice to everyone, and this time she was going to take that advice on and work with it _. 'Maybe because I happen to live with her, be one of her closest friends and know what she likes and dislikes? I mean, I could write a book about her.'_

She recalled Zai looking at her in slight shock, and it was priceless, seeing his only comeback was; _'You h_ _ave no saying in this whatsoever! You don't even wear clothes yourself.'_

She told Crane and the others, and they weren't pleased about it. Thankfully, they said nothing either, but whenever they spoke to Zai, their tone was as if they were about to snap, but it was repeatedly covered until he and Tigress were absent in the current presence. They asked Shifu about his opinion, but his response, even in a disapproving tone, was along the lines of having no saying in Tigress' relationship, which was ludicrous.

"What do you plan on doing about the situation?" Viper moved back onto the topic.

"Well he's taking me out to try out a new restaurant no far from the palace, and I have the instinct that's where he's going to ask if we can make it official, but I have a few questions for him myself..." Short time later, Tigress was dressed in her new golden tunic. Viper commented it looked beautiful, Tigress said thanks, before asking to wish her luck. Viper giggled, and did so, and followed her to the door, and waved her off.

"Can we spy on her?" Mantis asked, jumping onto Viper's head out of the blue. "I really wanna see how it goes down.

"We will do no such thing!" Viper declared angrily. "This is her business, and we don't have the right to interfere."

Monkey and Crane followed, but only one opposed Mantis. "Come on, it's not _interfering,_ it's more of... making sure everything goes the way it should."

"But for you two? It would be classified as a violation." Crane rolled his eyes. "Viper's right, we can't do that to Tigress..." The avian's beak tightened along with his feathers balling into fists. "No matter how much of a jerk Pretty-boy is."

"Ooh is someone jealous?" Mantis wiggled his brows flirtatiously as the avian glanced at him, stone-faced. "I think _someone_ likes _Tigress."_ He added the last part in singsong, but Crane nodded.

"You're right about that- but it's not me..." Before Crane could utter another word, they heard a voice wave through the hall, but only faintly, from the kitchen. Everyone but Crane slowly edged their heads towards the open hallway behind them, before the bird gestured them to be quiet, and follow on light footsteps.

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 **Hope you like it everyone! Please review and stay tuned for chapter two!**


	2. Chapter 2

_**2**_

They all obeyed, and they all neared the kitchen, to find Po; all alone, only putting the now washed and cleaned dinner bowels and utensils, putting them back into the cupboards. Clashing with the clatter and clanks, his voice rolled a song they never heard of off his tongue. They watched him by merely peeking over the wooden outline of the archway for maybe five minutes or less, and once he was drying up the last cup, and his final note, he almost jumped when they clapped. "GUYS!" He cried in shock. The cup leapt out of his paws, and only bounced higher into the air each time he tried to catch it, causing it to fly towards the others. Crane caught it without any issues, Viper and the two other boys didn't flinch, but Po glared at them, wringing his paws in the towel. "Don't do that again! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry about that buddy, but we couldn't help it. We were all outside giving Tigress our goodbyes and then we heard you singing."

"Aw man! Was I that loud?" He rain to the window close by, scanning the area like a spy, bending behind the window sill. "Did she hear me?!" He asked, reaching out for the shutters.

"No... She was gone halfway down the steps before we heard you singing," the serpent saw the panda's face easing up once the shutters were closed. "But Po there's no need to be ashamed if she heard you... it was a beautiful song." She paused for a second. "In fact, I've never _heard_ of that song before."

"'Cos no one has ever sang it... up until now." Po blushed. "I wrote it."

Viper beamed. "That's so sweet."

"It sends a real message without stating the obvious," Monkey added. "In fact, she's seeing him tonight."

Po sighed. "What does she _see_ in him... I mean, the things he says to her are so... unclean."

"Like what?"

"Nothing you should know..." Po said quickly. No one was meant to know that! "But you can see the obvious right? I mean, the clothes... he obviously has other things in mind..." He shivered almost violently. "She can find someone who can treat her so much better than he could..."

"Yes, I completely agree with you Po." Crane folded his wings. "Thank the Gods they aren't offical yet. I think we can _all_ agree on someone who will do that deed..." His eyes rolled onto Viper, Monkey, and Mantis, who nodded approvingly.

The panda looked at them all weirdly, before his eyes widened, and he shook his head like crazy. "NOOO no, no, nononono!" He said, picking up more clean dishes. "I-I-I can't!"

"And why is that?" Monkey asked, hands on his hips. They all watched Po moving back and forth between the sink, and the cupboards.

"'Cos she doesn't like me that way."

Viper raised an inquisitive eyebrows at the pace of a snail. "What makes you say that?"

The panda sighed heavily. "Where can I go with being someone like Tigress? She's so serious about things, and I'm carefree and super wishy washy. I wouldn't be able to catch up with her on anything... "

"But you guys share things in common. Like Kung Fu- obviously, certain scrolls, folk dancing, scrolls-" Po's lip twitched to one side one or twice through the entire sentence, but they knew they got him there. "And you know all the little things about her. Like how she likes her tea, or that time last winter? Remember when she got really sick shortly after the winter Festival?"

The panda's eyes rolled up towards the ceiling, giving a childish 'Pft.' "Who _didn't_ remember?"

"You volunteered to be her carer- bring her food, leisure items, etcetera." Crane raised a brow. "Also, at _that_ time you told me that you were going to tell Tigress how you felt about her..."

Monkey's head spun towards Crane so quickly, the bird jumped with a slight squawk, afraid his friend's head was going to roll right off his shoulders. "Hold up- you knew about this?"

The avian rolled his eyes. "Duh," he replied. "You could of caught it on outside... I said so, but rather... smoothly?" Would that be a good way to put it?

"I could?"

Everyone left the primate to ponder. "I wish you guys stopped talking about me when I'm not around." Po said with a sigh, but then his comment was ignored, and Crane pointed out other things; like how Po knows how Tigress likes her noodles if they come cold, or what kinda tea she drank, or what she liked to add. He even surprised her when he gave her the said drink, to find everything she liked inside already. Po was told by Mantis that _no one_ ever got the combination correct, or the even put in the right amount before. "And I'm _not_ joking here." He added, raising a pincer. "C'mon buddy. We know you like her, and its obviously you like her enough to wanting to _be_ with her, instead of Zai. We don't like him either, and we prefer _you_ than _him._ "

"You guys are just saying that..."

"No!" Monkey stamped his foot in offence. "We know you have _real_ feelings for her! _You care about her!_ Sure, so do we, but not in a romantic way, like you. C'mon Po..."

Viper slithered up to Po, and he stopped moving away this time. "Po... tonight is the time to set things... tonight, she's gonna ask him about how he thinks things are going... and who knows, he's probably just with her for the attention and recognition. He..." Viper gulped slowly. "He might try and take... advantage. You know? The tunics... all the clothes... it makes me sick at the thought..."

She saw Po's jaw tighten, as well as the grip he had on the plates.

* * *

 **Hope you like it guys! Sorry for the wait on all stories, let alone this.**

 **Please review and stay tuned for chapter 3!**


	3. Chapter 3

_**3**_

Down in the Valley, Tigress was just entering the restaurant, where one of the employees were waiting for her. He greeted her with a silent, voiceless bow, and guided her to a screen off area, from the rest of the customers. There was one or two tables in the same area, already full of snobby, wealthy groups and parties. And there he was; fixing the flower that sat between two candles, the red tablecloth, the music, light chatter... and him. He smiled upon seeing her, and stood up once she was getting closer. "Master Tigress." He said with a charming smile.

She nodded and smiled back. "Sorry for the delay. Slight hold back..."

"No need of a pardon, you were only delayed by a minute or so." They both took their seats, and the waiter brought them some Sake. Tigress noticed that there was another one when she sat down, but couldn't see the level of the contents inside. "How are you? Looking beautiful as always." He turned to the waiter, and asked him to leave the bottle there. The waiter did what he was told, said he'll be back with the menus soon, and then walked away.

"I'm doing fine..." She had more to say, but he reached down beside him, and a few moments late, Tigress had a small, bulky object wrapped in silk in front of her. She raised a slow eyebrow as she opened it, to find... another tunic. Red and lacy, with gold and silver trimmings... looking very small, and not referring to size. "Zai..."

"You like it?" He asked, starting to drink his cup of Sake. It was gone in two gulps, so he poured another. He gave her a flirtatious wink. "I can imagine it."

Tigress sighed. "How do you think everything is going?"

Zai was just about to drink his second cup, but then he frowned. "Going?"

"Us."

"Where _we're_ going?"

Tigress' tail flicked in annoyance. He couldn't have _possibly_ gotten drunk already? She eyed the empty bottle of Sake... it was unlikely the waiters just left empty contents on the table that the last customers left behind. "Yes..." She was reaching out towards her own cup. "You agreed that tonight we'd discuss where we're going; whether or not we should continue... not baring gifts. Can you be more serious please?"

Zai nodded slowly. "Mmmhmmm." He sang. "I can be serious... _very_ serious..." Her paws formed into fists slowly, resting on the table, inches away from the cup. "You not going to drink?"

"I might... but I need you to please answer me?"

"On what? Where are _we_ going?"

She nodded. "Yes. You agreed that tonight was where we'd discuss where we're going, and whether or not we should continue... not baring gifts..."

"Well," he says, sounding tipsy. He began counting his fingers in a slur. "Where we go _after_ this... is a good question too... and what to do after we leave and find that place... is next." He smiles drunkenly, as he reached out for her paw. Before she could pull it away, his fingers coiled around her wrist without consent. "There are many places... but I can see a nice plan." She watched him like a hawk when he started humming. _This isn't right,_ she thought, _just ease out of this... and you can talk to him tomorrow._ "We go up... up... up... and get cosy..." Her ears flattened. "Hot... AND STEAMY... and cosy..."

That was when she reefed her paw back, holding it at the same level of her head, her elbow stuck out towards Zai, but her eyes were sharper than her actions, and his reaction. He stared down at the table, still in the position he was in when he had the hold on her wrist. His head slowly raised, his whole form wobbling slightly, like he was struggling to hold it up. "I think we're done here..." She said softly, pushing Zai's 'present' towards him. "Thank you... for giving me the answer." She stood up, and started walking out. Music was just finishing up, and she heard Zai getting up, but it sounded like he was having trouble. _Good._ She thought. _I know where we stand, and that's where we'll remain..._

"Good evening everyone! Don't leave your seats, as we have a special performance coming!" Tigress instantly froze, and turned towards the stage, inches away from the exit. A few feet away, a voice had long flowed through the air. Someone stood there instead and she stared.

"... Po?"

Yes it was him; up on the stage, accompanied by no one else but a guitar. She noticed the others sitting off side, looking around the spaces. It wasn't hard for her to be seen; everyone who lived in the Valley of Peace were small animals. The only ones that were singled out because of their height, was Po, Crane, and herself. Tigress' head moved back towards the the stage when Viper looked in her direction. The feline slowly camouflaged into the shadows just by the entrance of the restaurant, and she saw Viper whispering something to the others. It was about her... she was sure of it.

"Hey everyone," Po greeted, gaining cheers and claps. "It's a pleasure to preform for you guys tonight, I hope you enjoy your evening... from what I heard from various reviews, this place cooks _awesome_ food, especially the wao ding dumplings-" A few chuckles bounced from points of the eaters, including Tigress. "This song is dedicated to someone special... if this person is here, I hope you listen to what I'm saying, and take it on board..." He cleared his throat, and before anyone could blink, his fingers began to dance along to string, to let the melody out and weave through the air freely.

 _I won't lie to you...  
_ _I know he's just not right for you..._

Quietly she leaned against the wall, and listening. Zai stumbled into the scene, looking around with narrow eyes.

 _And you can tell me if I'm off,_  
 _But I see it on your face._  
 _When you say that he's the one that you want...  
_

Tigress frowned a little, thinking about Zai's real intentions. How could she have been blind?

 _And you're spending all your time_  
 _In this wrong situation_  
 _And anytime you want it to stop..._

Po paused, taking in a sharp breath, and looking around. Probably this person the song was dedicated to...

 _I know I can treat you better_  
 _Than he can_  
 _And a woman like you deserves a, gentleman..._

Tigress stepped out slightly, and both Po and Zai immediately locked their attention on her...

 _Tell me why are we wasting time_  
 _On all your wasted crime_  
 _When you should be with_ me _instead?_

Zai quickly glanced at Po, and then at Tigress. He made no attempt to be gentle as he moved through the crowd. He stumbled and pushed his way. People complained to him, however, they had the decency to be quiet about it...

 _I know I can treat you better..._  
 _Better than he can!_

Po began to sway in time with the music, and everyone else wasn't far behind him. Tigress even found herself closing her eyes and doing the same, not feeling pressured. She could listen to him sing for a long time...

 _I'll stop time for you_  
 _The second you say you'd like me too_  
 _I just wanna give you the loving that you're missing..._

She gasped when she felt a grip on her forearm. She eyes opened to find Zai holding onto her. He didn't seem to be as drunk, as his eyes were focused on one target.

 _ **Zai:  
**_ _Baby, just to wake up with you  
_ _Would be everything I need and this could be so different  
_ _Tell me what you want to do..._

Tigress ignores him, and looked at Po. Zai followed her gaze a few seconds later, curling his paws into fists. His eyes were on another target, his fury slowly rising at each note the panda set free from his mouth.

 _ **Po:**_  
 _Cause I know I can treat you better_  
 _Than he can_

 _ **Zai:**_  
 _And any girl like you deserves a..._

 _ **Po:  
** -gentleman_  
 _Tell me why are we wasting time_  
 _And all on your wasted crime_  
 _When you should be with me instead_  
 _I know I can treat you better_  
 _Better than he can_

Everyone started clapping along, while there was a few whistles from different aspects of the area. Po smiled as he continued to play. He looked at the others, who were cheering him on. Viper nodded at him encouragingly, and he stood up. He swayed in time with the music, and so did everyone else.

 _Better than he can-_

Zai turns her face him, and that's the only warning the others had when they knew they had to intervene. As they made their way, his paw twisted around Tigress' wrist tightly, but to her she felt his contact.

 _ **Zai:  
** Give,me a sign..._  
 _Take my hand, we'll be fine_  
 _Promise I won't let you down..._

Tigress tore away from him, and started warning him to back off, but Zai kept following her. She shot him warnings through looks and threatening whispers, and even raising a fist, but then they both noticed the others, standing behind Tigress, glaring at Zai, fueled with hatred. With a quick tug, Tigress was out of Zai's view, being guided by Viper towards the stage, as the boys tackled Zai as casually as they could make it, and pull him out of the restaurant... especially when he went to hit a waitress when she refused him more drink.

 _ **Po:**_  
 _Just know... that you don't..._  
 _Have to do this alone_  
 _Promise I'll never let you down..._

Po got down off stage, and walked up to Tigress. Viper slithered away, and joined the crowd when they all followed the panda as he closed in on Tigress, who waited in the sudden spot light placed on her. He's paws were shaking, and his forehead was slightly sweaty, but it miraculously didn't affect the performance of the guitar.

 _Cause I know I can treat you better_  
 _Than he can_  
 _And any girl like you deserves a gentleman..._

Po stopped playing the guitar, going acapella, as he reached out for her paw. She let him have her paw, and his held it close to his heart.

 _Tell me why are we wasting time..._  
 _And all on your wasted crime..._  
 _When you should be with me instead?_  
 _I know I can treat you better..._

She smiled softly, and they both stared into one another's eyes. The faces that surrounded them, soon blurred away. The voices were a fuzz with the clapping, once their lips gently collided with one another, and continued through their small whisper after breaking apart;

 _"Better than he can..."_

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 ** _Hope you liked it guys! That's the end of my short story! Please show me some love and review!_**

 ** _I hate apologizing again and again about my long waits for new updates, but with school getting on my back I've actually found it quite hard to get writing, and when I can write, I feel my words spill out in a way that it's almost vivid to some (give or take XP) But it's my final year in school and with my exams I'm trying my best to do well (I have been cursed to over stress on little things too) but I really hope you guys enjoyed the story :)_**

 ** _Stay safe :D_**

 ** _Ciao!_**


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